1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a selective calling receiver, such as a paging receiver, and more particularly to a selective calling receiver with automatic memory storage and turn-on indication features which give the unit improved efficiency of operation and a greater range of flexibility of use. The improvements in the unit are of such a nature that indication of incoming calls, hereinafter referred to as "indication of the called state", or simply "the called state", is automatically stopped and regenerated.
2. Related Art Statement
In a receiver having a selective calling function, such as a paging receiver, generally, when an incoming call is received by the unit, such an occurrence is made known to the user by some audible or visible attention-getting means, such as by the generation of an alarm sound, the activation of a light source, such as a light-emitting lamp or light-emitting diode, or by some similar means designed to draw the user's attention to the fact that there is an incoming call. On most units, the user can turn-off the audible or visible indication signal by activating a reset switch.
In the situation where the user intends to manually turn-off such indication signal, but where the user cannot respond instantly thereto, such as where the user is otherwise occupied or is some distance from the calling receiver or is away from that location, the indication signal may continue for a long period of time when the receiver is in the called state, which may cause other persons in the vicinity of the receiver to become annoyed by its continued signalling. Moreover, where the receiver is battery-powered, such continued signalling is a drain on the battery.
In order to overcome the aforesaid disadvantages of conventional calling receivers, it has heretofore been proposed to incorporate in such units a device having a so-called automatic reset function which automatically stops indication of the called state after a certain period of time.
In situations where the indication signal is an audible alarm, at such times when it is desired to avoid sounding of the alarm, for example, such as during an interview or a conference, the automatic reset function enables temporary stopping of the indication signal alarm, with provision that indication of the called state is recorded in a memory storage device, from which it can later be determined that the receiver has been in the called state by activation of a switch or the like to display the contents of the memory storage device.
In conventional selective calling receivers, however, the automatic reset and memory functions are usually added to the recalling receiver at a later time, with such functions operating independently of one another, so that it is necessary for the user to switch from one or the other of either the reset or memory functions during use.
More specifically, an automatic reset function acts in accordance with an indication signal such as a sounding alarm or an activated steady or flashing light source, while a memory function acts without any accompanying indication signal. Thus, in the situation where the user is away from the site where the calling receiver is located when an indication signal is produced due to an incoming call, the user is later unaware of the fact that there was an incoming call unless the calling receiver has been switched to memory mode before the user leaves the area. This lack of flexibility of such a unit is a considerable disadvantage. Where the calling receiver is a portable unit, the alternative of the user always carrying around the receiver with him can be equally disadvantageous.